The government shutdown is putting a strain on breweries across the country and in North Texas after an obscure federal agency that quietly approves new breweries, recipes and labels closed.

The shutdown could create huge delays throughout the rapidly growing craft industry, whose customers expect a constant supply of inventive and seasonal beers.

The setback comes just months after Texas lawmakers helped clear the way for craft brewery businesses to sell their products to consumers on-site.

But now, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, has shut down. The little-known arm of the Treasury Department will continue to process taxes from existing permit holders, but applications for new breweries or beers are on hold.

That leaves Mike Goldfuss in limbo.

Earlier this year, the 32-year-old quit his New York construction management job and moved to Fort Worth to start a brewery with a college buddy. Now, he fears the shutdown will interfere with their ability to launch the Collective Brewing Project.

“We’re worried we’ll be sitting on equipment, paying rent, paying utilities and not being able to brew because the government won’t be issuing our permit,” Goldfuss said Wednesday.

It already takes about 100 days to get a permit approved, Goldfuss said. The backlog from the government closure means he’ll probably have to wait even longer, creating a wrinkle in his plans to open by spring.

The shutdown began Oct. 1 after a group of Republican House members blocked a budget deal in a last-ditch effort to stop funding for President Obama’s health care law.

The shutdown isn’t expected to have much effect on industry giants like MillerCoors or Anheuser-Busch because they can continue to produce their existing products as usual. But it poses a problem for craft brewers, who build their businesses by producing quirky, offbeat flavors and introducing new seasonal beers.

At Four Corners Brewing Co. in West Dallas, the goal is to produce up to six seasonal ales each year, said John Sims, brew master and an owner.

“We’re always developing new recipes around here,” he said.

But the brewery depends on TTB to be able to sell its new creations across state lines. And according to Sims, “anyone who has submitted for TTB approval for a label — if it’s sitting in a TTB office right now — nobody’s looking at it.”

Sims doesn’t have any labels pending with TTB, but he had hoped to submit his winter seasonal beer soon. Once he sends it in, the approval will “probably be delayed for longer than normal,” he said. That shouldn’t be a problem for him — he has until December — but other microbreweries may be serving last season’s beer if the shutdown isn’t lifted soon.

Kevin Carr, founder of Community Beer Co. in the Design District, said he’s also had issues accessing files for beers the TTB already approved. Since the TTB website isn’t being updated during the shutdown, Carr said, he couldn’t see files on his Community Witbier, Community Pale Ale, Vienna Lager and Mosaic IPA, which he plans to release as six-packs this month.

“It’s frustrating,” Carr said. “Just the repository of your documents, you should be able to get.”

The shutdown is mostly an inconvenience for people like Carr and Sims, whose businesses are already up and running. But for some, the shutdown threatens their livelihood.

Gary Humble plans to open Grapevine Craft Brewery by the end of next month but said he’s still waiting on his permit from the TTB.

“I’m hoping that we might just make it,” said Humble, 35. Otherwise, “Our revenue potential is just sitting there and we’re burning cash while the federal government is deciding whether or not they’re going to be a government.”

Before this, the transition from home brewing in his garage to opening his own business had gone smoothly. He’s already gotten city approval, found investors and snagged a head brewer from a Kansas City brewing company, he said.

Now it’s a matter of waiting for someone at TTB to answer his phone call or respond to his email. For Humble, it’s crucial that Congress comes to an agreement in the next few weeks.

“If I’m going to have beer for Nov. 27 like we’re planning, it’s huge,” he said.

Goldfuss, who is opening the Fort Worth brewery, had planned to seek a loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration next week. That agency is also affected by the shutdown, and Goldfuss is worried both federal and conventional loans will be hard to come by right now.

“It might change our whole investment opportunity,” he said. “We might have to just go for all investors instead of just trying to do a loan if it means it’s going to take so long.”

But Goldfuss and his partner, Ryan Deyo, said that whatever happens with the federal impasse, opening their brewery is non-negotiable.

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